The Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill, 2014 which introduces the goods and services tax was introduced in Lok Sabha today. The Bill was not listed in the original list of business for the day but was added through a supplementary notice. Several MPs protested the introduction of the Bill on such a short notice, but the motion to introduce the Bill was adopted. The text of the Bill can be found here.

As per the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the goods and services tax shall replace a number of indirect taxes being levied be the Union and the State governments and is intended to remove cascading effect of taxes and provide for a common national market for goods and services.

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was also introduced in Lok Sabha today. Rajya Sabha was again adjourned due to disruptions today.

Productivity for this week was 105% in Lok Sabha, and 21% in Rajya Sabha as of Thursday, December 18th. Rajya Sabha suffered from repeated disruptions over the issue of reported religious conversions and the opposition’s demand for a statement from the Prime Minister. Question Hour functioned for 100% of the allotted time in Lok Sabha and 1% of the allotted time in Rajya Sabha. 20 Questions were orally answered by Ministers in Lok Sabha this week, while only 2 were orally answered in Rajya Sabha.

Four Bills were passed by Lok Sabha this week. These were:

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Lok Sabha passed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Bill brings e-carts and e-rickshaws under the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act. The Bill also provides for the central government to make Rules on (i) the specifications for e-carts and e-rickshaws, and (ii) the manner and conditions for issuing driving licenses. More details on the Bill can be found here.

The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014

The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed. The Bill introduces certain amendments in relation to related party transactions, fraud reporting by auditors, making common seal optional, and jurisdiction of special courts to try certain offences etc. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that this would ensure ease of business transactions. A discussion on this Bill was underway at the time of sending this diary. 

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2014

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 provided that no action will be taken till December 31, 2014 with respect to: (i) encroachment or unauthorized development as of January 1, 2006, (ii) unauthorized colonies, village abadi areas that existed on March 31, 2002 and where construction took place up till February 8, 2007, and (ii) other areas as of February 8, 2007. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2014 extends this deadline to December 31, 2017.

The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2014

In Rajya Sabha, no Bills were passed this week as disruptions continued every day. Some important Bills such as the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014 and the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008 were listed for consideration and passage by Rajya Sabha this week, but could not be taken up.

Winter Session 2014

In the four Weeks of Winter Session so far, Productivity of Lok Sabha is at 102% while of Rajya Sabha is at 62%. Lok Sabha has functioned for 116 hours, while Rajya Sabha has functioned for 70 hours as of Thursday, December 18^th. Functioning of Question Hour in the same time was 82% in Lok Sabha and 29% in Rajya Sabha. While 88 Questions were answered orally in Lok Sabha, 43 were answered orally in Rajya Sabha.

10 Bills have been passed by both Houses so far into the Session. Lok Sabha has passed 7 more Bills in this Session, which have yet to be passed by Rajya Sabha. 14 Bills have been introduced in Lok Sabha in this Session, while only one has been introduced in Rajya Sabha.

A list of the Bills passed and introduced in this Session is given below:

Bills Passed by Parliament in Winter Session 2014

1. The Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2011
2. The Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2014
3. The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014
4. The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, 2014
5. The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2014
6. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2014
7. The Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Laws (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2014
8. The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2013
9. The Merchant Shipping (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013
10. The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014

Bills Passed by Lok Sabha in Winter Session 2014

1. The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014
2. The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014
3. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014
4. The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2014
5. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014
6. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014
7. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha in Winter Session 2014

1. The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014
2. The Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Laws (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2014
3. The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014
4. The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014
5. The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014
6. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014
7. The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2014
8. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014
9. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014
10. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014
11. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas and other related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014
12. The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014
13. The Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill, 2014 (Goods and Services Tax Bill)
14. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Bills Introduced in Rajya Sabha in Winter Session 2014

1. The Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Two more sittings of the Winter Session are now left.

By Shreya Singh at PRS Legislative Research